Varanasi, Nov 12 (PTI) Regular cleaning of Ganga ghats, sewage treatment, tapping of drains and removal of floating waste from the river helped Varanasi secure the third position nationally in the ‘Best Riverfront Town’ category of the Swachh Survekshan 2025-26, municipal officials said on Thursday.
The Varanasi Municipal Corporation has also been separately disposing of religious offerings collected from the ghats and using them to manufacture compost and incense sticks, they said.
Officials said the cleaning of three stretches of Ganga ghats, tapping of drains to prevent wastewater from entering the river, treatment of sewage through sewage treatment plants (STPs) and deployment of trash skimmer machines to remove floating waste were among the key measures behind the achievement.
The city has consistently ranked among the top performers in six surveys since 2020, they added.
President Droupadi Murmu presented the award to Uttar Pradesh Urban Development Minister A K Sharma, Mayor Ashok Kumar Tiwari and Municipal Commissioner Himanshu Nagpal at a ceremony held at Vigyan Bhawan in New Delhi on Wednesday, officials said.
Tiwari described the recognition as “a matter of pride for the people of Varanasi” and credited Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision and Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath’s guidance, along with the efforts of sanitation workers and aware citizens.
Nagpal said, “Maintaining the cleanliness and uninterrupted flow of the Ganga ghats remains a priority for the municipal corporation.”
“The civic body would further strengthen its sanitation system through technology and public participation,” he added. PTI COR KIS NB
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